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Osteoporosis treatment or strontium citrate?
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: May 1 5:50pm | Replies (239)Comment receiving replies
Tymlos, Forteo and Evenity do "dedensify" bone. Prolia and biphosponates affect resorption, as does Evenity but to a lesser degree. Brittle bones may occur after several years, with Prolia and biphosphonates Prolia is the one that can result in quick drop in density after stopping: not true of biphosphonates. For osteopenia, there have been changes in favor of not treating in many cases.
Anastrazole will increase bone loss similar to the loss at menopause but I found that after the first year this loss lessened. I took an aromatase inhibitor with full-blown osteoporosis even though bone meds were not possible (long story). My Oncotype was low but for me there was no question I would do everything I could for my cancer.
What heart conditions specifically are you wary of from anastrazole? I have paroxysmal afib but it did not affect that.
You could consider anastrazole without meds and then do a bone-growing med if your bone density worsens. (Again, I had actual osteoporosis for 14 years so there is wiggle room. Your bones don't turn to dust instantly when you cross -2.5.)
Replies to "Tymlos, Forteo and Evenity do "dedensify" bone. Prolia and biphosponates affect resorption, as does Evenity but..."
Bisphonates also cause a rebound effect - so a decrease in bone density - after cessation.
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I know this is a journey of decisions and sometimes changing one's mind. As to anastrozole, I have mild osteopenia (a manufactured term to sell Fosamax years ago) that estrogen-depletion would surely turn into osteoporosis unless I took meds to hopefully prevent that. The cardiac concern with the aronatase inhibitors is two-fold. A known and frequent side effect is the triggering of high cholesterol, which I already have and cannot reduce with statens. (Not everyone gets this side effect but it's among the most frequent.) The lipid metabolism doesn't necessarily return to pre-anastrozole levels either upon discontinuing the drug. There is some concern also the effect of the drug on arterial endothelial tissue but the data is recent. The Endopat test, which I once had to consider stroke risk as part of a comprehensive coronary health assessment , measures the endothelial rebound rate. I have the genetic marker for heart disease but, quixotically enough, am so far staying out of trouble with low calcium score and good echocardiogram results. But it's always on my mind and I try to reduce risk factors. If I had a high OncotypeDX risk score, I'd have to balance the downsides and 50% rate of arthyria of anastrozole v. statistical odds of BC recurrence differently. I don't envy any of us trying to balance the trade-offs though glad there are choices.